By Jim Muir

For several decades Sesser-Valier school colors have been maroon and white and in recent years the color black has been added. However, as students get set to return to class next week following summer vacation local residents can expect to see a healthy splash of lime green added to those very familiar school colors.

In fact, if some folks at S-V schools get their way the entire city will take on a lime green look during the entire month of September. Already, lime green banners, ribbons, bows, signs and T-shirts decorate the community and anybody that owns stock in lime green nail polish is certain to see a healthy dividend as gallons (literally) are being used to adorn fingers and toes in this Franklin County community.

And behind the ‘all-things-green’ focus is one simple gesture – a show of love and support for ultra-popular high school principal Natalie (Eubanks) Page, who is beginning the school year with a strong will, a big smile and serious health concerns.

Page is 42 years old, and is married. She and her husband Brian have two children, a son Addison, 16, and a daughter Carlie, 14. She has been a teacher in the S-V school system for 18 years and last year was her first as principal. Counting the years she attended school Page has spent 32 of her 42 years in the same school complex.

On a recent morning Page sat at her desk in her small office and detailed what the past six weeks have been like for her and family members after she was diagnosed on July 5 with follicular lymphoma.

“Throughout this entire process, even now as I talk to you, I feel great,” said Page.  “The only reason I knew something was up was I had a swollen lymph node in my neck and I was having sinus troubles and I thought they were combined.”

After several medical procedures it was decided to remove the lymph node and, even after doctors assured her it was probably nothing, she received a call that will always be etched in her mind.

“When they told me I have lymphoma my first thought was ‘I thought lymphoma was cancer’ because I just could not put cancer with me, it just didn’t go together. At that moment I couldn’t wrap my mind around the fact that I had cancer,” she said. “When it settled in my first thought was, ‘how is a person with cancer supposed to act?’ I just kept thinking, what am I supposed to do now? It was crushing and confusing to hear.”

Page said telling her family was a difficult task.

“When I told my husband I just broke down,” she said. “And then I tried to tell my children and that was awful.”

Following the initial shock of hearing the word ‘cancer’ Page said she immediately began to call on a character trait that has served her well through the years.

“I’m hard-headed and I’m stubborn and I told my family that is exactly how I am going to deal with this,” Page said. “I don’t want people to put ‘Natalie’ and ‘cancer’ together. It is a part of my life now, but I am a mom, I am a wife, I am a teacher, I am a principal, I am a friend. That’s who I am … I just happen to have cancer.”

As is the case often in small communities, word traveled quickly that Page was facing the battle of her life and within hours the community and the school rallied around her.

“It has been nothing short of amazing,” she said. “I have been astounded at the goodness of people. I knew people were good, and the world seems to focus on the bad, but I have been overwhelmed at how the community and school have reacted. I can’t count the blessings that have taken place since the day I received the call telling me I have cancer.”

Page said one particular evening stands out when she received a text message from a co-worker who was attending a bible study and they asked if they could come by and pray for her.

“Two or three adults, a couple people I work with came to my home and then my former students start spilling into the house, all these boys that are now out of school that I had spent nine months with when I taught them in kindergarten when they were five years old,” she said. “They all got around me in a circle and prayed for me. It was a full-circle moment in my life. For years I have tried to be a person that gives more than I take, I try to give out more good than bad, to leave a positive energy out in the world. And I think it has turned around and it is coming back to me. They took time out of their day to give to me, to pray for me. It was an amazing moment in my life.”

Two co-workers and longtime friends are spearheading the lime green effort at the S-V school and throughout the community. Angie Kistner, who says she has known Page “forever” said once she got past the initial shock at the unexpected diagnosis she began working on ideas to support her friend.

“I was filled with fear when she told me,” said Kistner. “She is by far one of the best individuals I have ever met. We just can’t lose somebody as instrumental as she is in our community.”

Kistner said several fundraising and awareness projects are in the works, including ‘painting the entire town lime green’ in September to highlight “Lymphoma Cancer Awareness Month.”

Stephanie White has worked with Page for 15 years and also labels her as a “good friend.”

“After the shock wore off I just wanted to do something to help,” said White. “We are gaining momentum and it’s very encouraging to me and I know it’s encouraging to Natalie.”

White said co-workers are continuing to explore ways to support Page and her family. White and school guidance counselor Kerri Henry designed a T-shirt that will be sold to students and also to local residents. The shirt – with the logo “Fight the fight with Page” – is sure to be popular attire in the S-V community in the coming weeks.

Page said doctors have told her that they believe after six months of chemo she will be in remission but they warned that this type of cancer usually returns within four to six years. Page said she is taking her fight “one day at a time” and draws strength and optimism daily from the overwhelming support she has received. She said she is tired the week after chemo treatment but otherwise feels ‘great.’

Page revealed a recent conversation with a co-worker where they talked about all the good that is coming back to her during the difficult experience of being diagnosed with cancer.

“He told me ‘you reap what you sow Natalie and you’ve sowed a lot of good in your life.’ I told him I had never thought of that verse in a positive way and he told me that it was meant to be a positive comment but we just never hear it used in that way,” she said. “I have had so many experiences, people stopping by, people telling me they are praying for me, getting cards in the mail and then the community and school supporting me. I have witnessed so much goodness because of this … it’s just very humbling.”

 

 

(Editor’s Note:  This story originally was published in Southern Illinois Sports Connection Magazine in September, 2007 – the second month the magazine was published.  It’s such a unique story with so many ties to Southern Illinois. With the ongoing controversy that has developed about renaming “Changnon Gymnasium” in Mt. Vernon, this story is again very relevant and gives some insight into the legendary coaching career of Stanley Changnon. I hope you enjoy. —   JM )

By Jim Muir

In the words of 93-year-old Goebel Patton, “it’s a story that needed to be told.”

And even though he’d kept it a secret for more than a quarter of a century Patton still knows the story very well — right down to the minute details. Patton worked for more than 50 years in the West Frankfort school system and served as superintendent for nearly 40 of those years.

In 1981, three years before he retired, Patton was approached by Stanley Changnon, Jr. and Mark Changnon, the son and grandson of legendary Coach Stanley Changnon, with a request that was the most unusual he’d received during his five decades as an educator.

“They asked me if they could scatter Coach Changnon’s ashes on Johnson Field,” recalled Patton. “They wanted to know if it was a request that should be taken through the school board. I thought about it a little and then I told them to just go do what they needed to do and not to tell me about it. I didn’t know for sure when they did it, but I knew they did it. I didn’t want to know for sure back then because if there were any critics I could just tell them, ‘I don’t know.’ I never told anybody because I didn’t know for sure.

 

A short time after that request was made, on a hot July day in 1981 the Changnons made the three-hour drive from their homes in Champaign to Southern Illinois. The Changnon’s first of two destinations that day was Johnson Field.

As West Frankfort residents went about their usual daily routines that summer day the Changnon’s completed their somber task and fulfilled the dying wishes of a larger-than-life figure – a man who is still revered in both basketball and football coaching circles throughout Illinois.

“All I know is that when we arrived the gate was unlocked, I don’t know who unlocked it, but it was unlocked for us,” said Mark. “And we walked out on the field, just the two of us, and did what he asked us to do. My grandfather mentioned it several times before he died so I know it was something that was very important to him.”

After completing the task in West Frankfort the Changnons then drove to Mt. Vernon where they scattered the remaining ashes at J.D. Shields Memorial Stadium.

When questioned about going on the record to do a story about the final resting place of their loved one the Changnons were enthusiastic and agreed with Patton that it was time that the story was told.

 

“I agree that it’s time the folks in Southern Illinois know about this story. I think it’s important that the younger generation knows about a man that loved high school sports so much that he wanted a football field to be his eternal resting place,” Mark said. “I remember when my grandpa started talking about spreading his ashes at the two football fields. He said he wanted his ashes spread there because it was two places where he had some of the greatest joys in his life.”

On a recent Saturday morning the Changnons and Patton met at Johnson Field — the first time the trio had met in more than 25 years. The three walked the field and recalled memories of the man who prompted the meeting.

Stanley, Jr. recalled a specific conversation he had with his dad only months before he died.

“He was in the hospital and he emphasized that he wanted to be cremated and he was very specific that he wanted his ashes spread at Johnson Field,” said Stanley, Jr. “He really loved this place.”

Stanley Jr., who is now 79 years old, remembers vividly his time in West Frankfort and also in Mt. Vernon. He recalled the attributes that he felt made his dad successful.

“As a coach he was fair but he was also a disciplinarian, you had to do what he said or you weren’t going to play,” said Stanley, Jr. “I think his greatest asset though was the ability to analyze what his players could do. He changed his offense almost every year according to the talent he had and what they could best do. He was also equally as good at analyzing and knowing how to attack his opponent. Even back then he was very much into every detail of the game. I think he was probably ahead of his time as a coach.”

According to his son, Changnon, Sr. was also one of if not the first coach in Southern Illinois to begin developing the one-hand shot in basketball.

“That was a big change when he started teaching the one-hand shot and a lot of people were critical of it,” said Stanley, Jr. “He started that at Johnston City in the mid-1930s and continued on at West Frankfort and obviously it caught on.”

Patton recalled the coaching tenure of Changnon, Sr. at West Frankfort and said one detail still stands out.

“You didn’t see him showing a lot of emotions, jumping up and hollering,” said Patton. “I asked him one time about his coaching style and he said ‘if I teach them all week and they don’t know what they’re supposed to do when the game starts I can’t change things then. He also believed that as a coach he couldn’t think his best if he didn’t remain calm. But, nobody questioned him as a coach, not if you wanted to stay around.”

While Changnon’s ashes were scattered on two football fields his accomplishments on the basketball court is where he is most often remembered. After leaving West Frankfort Changnon took a job in Mt. Vernon in 1943-44 where he coached basketball and football. During a nine-year stint as head basketball coach Changnon compiled a won-loss record of 229-59. Changnon’s 1948-49 and 1949-50 Rams’ teams won back-to-back state titles, making him the first coach to ever accomplish that feat in Illinois. During that incredible two-year state championship run under Changnon the Rams went 63-3.

 

Changnon began his coaching career in 1926 at Donavan High School where he coached for six years compiling a record of 108-52. He then coached at Johnston City for two years before taking the West Frankfort job where he coached football and basketball from 1935-43. In basketball his overall record at West Frankfort was 136-72. During 25 years of coaching high school basketball Changnon had a record of 507-199. A complete account of Changnon’s football record is not available but during his nine years at the Franklin County school his teams won seven South Seven championships.

The list of players coached by Changnon, Sr. reads like a who’s who of high school sports heroes and includes Max Morris, Lou Levanti, John Riley, Walt Moore, Max Hooper, Eddie King and Benny Purcell.

Morris, who the West Frankfort gym is named after, reached fame at Northwestern, Levanti starred at the University of Illinois in football, Riley and King played basketball at Bradley University while Moore and Hooper played basketball for the Fighting Illini. Purcell played for a college all-stars that competed in a national series against the Harlem Globetrotters.

Prior to beginning his illustrious coaching career the elder Changnon established himself as an outstanding athlete at Illinois State University. To this day he is one of only two athletes to ever win a letter in five sports during one season. While at Normal Changnon won letters in football, basketball, baseball, track and tennis. He received all-conference honors in football and basketball.

Because of a severe asthmatic condition Stanley Jr. never participated in sports, yet his dad’s influence motivated him in other ways.

“As a kid I knew he was a very special person in the community and was really looked up to by a lot of people,” said Stanley Jr. “That gave me a lot of motivation to be successful. Since I had asthma and couldn’t be an athlete I went into high science. I wanted to be successful like my dad was but I couldn’t do it in sports so I tried to do it intellectually.”

Changnon worked for many years as a professor and head of the Illinois Water Survey at the University of Illinois. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Following in his grandfather’s footsteps Mark is a teacher and coaches freshmen basketball at Champaign Centennial High School. Mark, who grew up in Champaign, still recalls spending periods of time in Mt. Vernon with his grandparents during the summer.

“I used to go the restaurant with him every morning and even as a kid I could tell that people thought he was special and I just felt proud to be with him,” said Mark. “I always wanted to be just like him.”

Mark said family members including his father and two brothers make an annual trip to Southern Illinois that always includes a stop at Johnson Field. He said knowing how much his grandfather loved coaching at West Frankfort he looks at the field as “hallowed ground.”

“When I go there, even now,” said Mark looking around at his surroundings at Johnson Field. “I can close my eyes and almost hear the crowd and I can see my grandfather on the sidelines. I’m glad we told the story.”

 

 

 

 

 

CHICAGO — Aiming to avoid past troubles, Gov. Bruce Rauner announced Thursday that the state is seeking bids for a new private manager to run the Illinois Lottery after moving to terminate Northstar Lottery Group’s contract last year.

Here’s the link to the story.

CHICAGO — After a year of squabbles over the state budget, the outcome of Illinois’ power struggle now hinges on dozens of House election campaigns that will determine whether Democrats can impose their will on Gov. Bruce Rauner or the Republican gains traction with his ideas to “shake up” the state.

Here’s the link to the story.